Detachable rim for tractor wheels



L. W. WlTRY DETACHABLE RIM FOR TRACTOR WHEELS Feb. 8 1927 Filed July 19. 1920 17 I I 15 I 16 mags? .117

" I j ifmrnaqzr Patented Feb. 8, 1927'.

LOUIS w. WITRY, or wArEn'Loo, town, AssIen-on 'ro JOHN nnnnn'rnnc'ron COM- 1 PA-NY, OF'WATERLOO, owa, A CORBORATION oniowA;

DETAOHAIBLE RIM non rnnoron WHEELS...

I Application filed July 19,

v This invention relates toa quick attach able or detachable tire rim for tractor wheels having lugs or gro users attached thereon.

It has been found necessary in using 5 tractors in the field to equip the traction wheels with projections commonly called lugs or grousers. It is often necessary to run the tractor on the'highways andthese lugs are very destructive to the surface of :the road, so much so, in many localities it is forbidden to operate tractors on the highways unless the wheels have a smooth rim.

With the usual type ofgrouser .or lugit -is a long arduous task to remove them to permit the tractor being operated on the highway and to again replace them when it is'desired to operate the tractor in the fields.

To lessen the labor and: the time element involved inthis changing operation various vtypeswof quick detachable lugs have been designed but these have proven-more or less unsatisfactory for thefollowing reasonsz The usual lugs are quite heavy,the equipment for a-tractor weighing several hundred pounds, thus making them burdensome to handle everytime it is desired to go on the highway from the field or vice versa; they are very bulky making them inconvenient to handle when detached fromthe tire run; and also it is necessary to provide some container in whichtocarry them when going 'h'omplace to place on the highway.) Even where it is not forbidden to operate tractors with lug equipped wheels on the h ghways, it is very-uncomfortable forthe operator and also injurious to thetractor to do soon account of the severejolts and vibrations caused by the space between the lugs.

It isan'objectof this invention to pro 40 vide a comparatively light, easily handled, smooth surfaced rim that is quickly attached to or detachedfrom the lug equippedtractor -wheel.

Referring to the accompanying"drawings in which like numerals J indicate identicalparts. U

1 Figure 1 isa side view of a tractor wheel with the improved rim attached to the wheel in the preferred manner. l

Figure 2 is a plan view on line "a a of Figure 1.

Figure 315' side View of a portion of the wheel showing a modified form of the-rim attaching means.

' rim attaching means.

7 over the lugs anc then 920. Serial" No. 397,446. I

I Figure 4 isa plan view of Figure? Figure 5 is a transverse section on line Ii- 5 of Figure 4. r Figure 6 is a side View of-a'portion ofthe wheel showing another modified form-of the Figure 7 is al'plan View of Figure 61; and

Figure .8 is a transverse section on line cc of Figure7. I 1 The tractor wheel may be of any preferred type and construction. In the wheel illustrated 10 indicates the wheel hub having a flange 11 to -which are attached at their I I inner ends in any suitable manner, a series of, spokes 12. The spokes 12 are bolted or riveted at their outer ends, by means of .boltsor rivets 13, to the tire 14. '15 are lugs .or grousers, in the instance illustrated made from angle iron, one side of the angle forming the base portion and being attached to ,the tire 14 by means ofrivets or bolts 16,

the other sid'eof the angle forming a projection fromtheltire ll thereby insuring ground. As- ;will be seen by referring to the drawings, the lugs 15' are spaced apart around the the, grip of the wheel on the periphery of the tire 14. 17 represents the quick attachable and detachable rim, composed preferably 0f .founarcuate sections as shown in Figure 1. The rim '17. is made of flat metal of sufficient width to support the weight of the tractor when used on the road, andbent to conform to the radius of the outside edge of the lugs 15, the diameter of the rim as a whole being such that it ma be applied to the Wheel y drawingits separatedends together may be reduced in circumference so that it will be clamped or bound tightly on said lugs The various sections of the rim 17 are attached to the wheelin the same manner so it IS. deemed sufficient to describe the method of. attaching two of the sections In the preferred method of attaching the rim 17 as shown in "Figures 1 and 2 a suitable. hole is punched or drilled in one of the lugs. 15; The ends of the sectionsof the rim 17 are. bent at,

approximately right anglesto the face of therim as shown at'l7? and 17",-to form inturned flanges at the separated ends .of the rim which restupon and are supported by the periphery of the wheeL In the construction shown in Figs. 1 to 3 these flanges.

17 and 17 b are of unequal length, the inner margin of the flange 17 a resting on the base section of the lug 15,,and the inner margin .of the flange 17 resting directly on the tire 14, so that both the separated ends are firmly supported by the peripheral portion of the wheel against inward movement. The bent over portions orfianges 17 and 17 b are twisted to conform to whatever angle the lugs are placed on the tire 14. Suitable holes are drilled or punched in the i bent over portions 17 and 17 in position of the lugs 15. The bolt 18 is located between the side margins of the wheel so that it is protected and is not apt to be struck, with consequent disarrangement of the rim should the road be rough or contain obstructions, or in passing through gates. The rim is prevented from lateral movement relative to the lugs 15 by reason of the bolts 18 being inserted through the lugs 15 and the bent over portions of the rim 17 It will be seen from the foregoing description that the separated ends of the rim, or rim sections, are drawn together to reduce'the circumference of the rim as a whole and bind it on the wheel by means which also serves to hold the rim againstlateral movement on the lugs .by reason of its being connected with the wheel in such manner as b extendin the bolt 18 through one of thelugs 15, that it is held against such lateral movement. It

will also be noted thatsuch means is connected with the wheel in addition to being connected with the rim, and at a point between the separated ends of the rim, so that such separated ends are lield'down firmly in contact with the peripheryof the wheel as well as being held against lateral distortion.

While the form of attachingnieans shown in Figs. 1 and 2 is the one which I prefer because of its simplicity, my invention also includes various other arrangements by which the same principle may be applied,

" and in Figs. 3 to 8 of the accompanying drawings 1 have shown several of such modifications in which instead of passing the bolt 18 through one of the lugs, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, for connecting it with the wheel to hold the rim against lateral movement' other expedients for that purpose are employed.

Figures 3, 4 and 5 illustrate a method of connecting the bolt 18 with the wheel to hold it'and the rim against lateral movement by means of a hook 19. In attaching the rim to the wheel by this method, the bent over portions 17 and 17 are placed be tween the lugs 15, and if desired the end portions 17 and 17 may be of equal length and so that both rest directly on the tire 14. The hook 19 is bent intermediate its end to engage one edge of the tire 14, on one end having a hook portion 19 engaging one of the spokes 12,and on the other end'having an eye 19 to receive, when in position, the bolt18.' The hook 19 by engaging the edge of the tire. 14 and one of the spokes 12 will serve to prevent lateral movement of the rim 17 relative to the lugs 15.

Figures 6, 7 and 8 illustrate another arrangement for connecting the bolt 18 with the wheel to hold it against lateral 'movement. 20 is a hook with one end 20 bent to engage the tire :14 on the underside as plainly shown in Figure 8. The other end of the hook 20 is bent as at 20 to engage the opposite edge of the tire 14. Intermediate the ends of the hook 20 an eye is formed suitable for receiving the bolt 18. In using this method the bent over portions of the rim 17 are of equal length as shown at 17 and 17 and both ends rest on the surface of the tire 14. It will thus be seen that the hook 20 by engaging both edges of the tire 14 and the bolt 18 will prevent lateral movement of the bolt 18'and rim 17 relative to the'lugs l5.

When the rim 17 is in place on the lugs 15, it will be seen a smooth. surface is presented to the roadway, preventing the roadway from being injuredby the sharp edges of the lugs 15, and also'the operator and tractor will not be subjected to the severe jolts and vibrations that would be received if the lugs were allowed to come into contact with the hard surface of the road. v 7

While I prefer to make the rim in four sections, as above stated, because it is. desirable to make the rim of comparatively thick material 'sothat it will'properly withstand the usage to which it is subjected without wearing out too rapidly, and where such "material is comparatively thick it is apt to be 1 so stiff that to draw the rim properly down upon the lugs provision shouldv be made for applying the tensile strain at several points around the rim, my invention is not limited to making the rim of any particular number of sections, as my" improved means for attaching it to the wheel may be adapted to be mounted on the wheel over such lugs, saidrim comprisin a plurality of sections having separated en s, and means -operable to; draw such separated ends to- 15 with said bolt and with the wheel .to hold gether to reduce the circumference of the rim and bind the same on said lugs, and means connected with said drawing means and with the wheel tohold the rim'against lateral movement on said lugs.

2. The combination with. a traction wheel having lugs on its periphery, of a rim adapted to be mounted on the wheel over such lugs, said rim having separated ends, and a bolt connecting said separated ends and operable to draw them together to reduce the circumference of the rim and bindthe'same onsaid lugs, and means connected the rim against lateral movement on said lugs.

The combinationwith a traction wheel I v having lugs on its periphery, of i a rim of sections having separated ends provided with inturned flanges supported bythe perip-hery of the wheel, and means connected with said flanges between the side marginsof the wheel and operable to draw said separated ends together to reduce the circum-' ference of the rim and bmd the same on said lugs. e

LOUIS WQ; WITRY. 

